The Fireside Reader

Here is a reminder before you dive into my review of the new “Superman”:

My goal for my movie reviews is for them to be carefree, chill, and laid back. None of my opinions are facts. I’m here to have fun, and not to have a debate. I won’t be diving too deep in hidden meanings and relevance to today’s climate. There are enough bloggers out there to handle those topics. 

Saying that, I will rate a movie from 1-5 stars based on these criteria: 

#1 World building and graphics 

#2 Characters and acting

#3 Soundtracks and scores (who doesn’t like good music?)

#4 Overall story and plot 

#5 Rewatch-ability and memorability

How the overall rating works: I will average the categories together. 1 star = worst movie ever/ didn’t finish, 2.5 star = an average movie (most movies will be around this score), 5 stars = a legendary movie (like “Lord of The Rings”)

From here on, be prepared for spoilers. I won’t give too much away, but if you want to go watch the movie first, I wouldn’t blame you.

World building and graphics

While watching “Superman” for the first time, I felt like I was dropped right in the middle of a comic book. Every detail seemed to matter to the production team. All the way down to Superman’s singular curl on his forehead to Clark Kent’s messy hairstyle. Not to mention the voice change from Superman to Clark Kent. No detail was skipped. The color of Superman’s suit alone made the aesthetic great. I can’t explain in enough detail how fantastic the world building is. I would imagine it would be difficult to create a great world that has already been created so many times. The producers went back to the basics with “Superman”. He didn’t have to add any fluff or lens flares to make the graphics better. With that, I would rate the world building and graphics a 5 out of 5 stars.

Characters and acting

What characteristics do you think of when you think of Superman? What about Lois Lane? Lex Luther? The actors embodied these characters to a tee. I left the theater feeling fulfilled. That was partially due to the actor’s and actress’ success. The casting director knew what he was doing when he cast every single person in this movie. I love that there were no A list celebrities. I didn’t know who David Corenswet was until I watched “Superman”. I know he has been in a few movies, but If you brought him up to me in a conversation a year ago, my response would be: “Who?”

There wasn’t one character I didn’t love. What would my favorite character be? This is the toughest question I have to ask myself about the movie. Each character is so vastly different and complex. Each actor latched onto who they wanted to portray throughout the movie. If I have to choose, I would probably say Lex Luther or Jimmy Olsen. Lex Luther being the main antagonist, had a ton of screen time. He did not disappoint. Why was Lex Luther being evil? Because he is evil and hates Superman. That’s it, but yet he had a depth to him at the same time. Jimmy Olsen is a side character, but I couldn’t get past his charm. The only negative comment I have about the character choices of the movie is that Jimmy wasn’t on screen nearly enough. They might be my favorite characters, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love everyone else. With that, I would rate the characters and acting a 4.9 out of 5 stars.

Soundtracks and Scores

Honestly, there isn’t much for me to say about this topic. “Punkrocker” by Teddybears is iconic, but other than that, I don’t remember much of the music. I’m sure it’s fine. It didn’t deter from the movie in any way. With that, I would rate the soundtrack a 3.0 out of 5 stars. 

Overall Story and Plot

Tears, laughter, joy, sadness, anger, and all of the other complex emotions will envelop you. There hasn’t been a superhero movie like this one in a long time. The overall arching plot brings up nature versus nurture, and it does it in a splendid way. The conclusion to that age old question was answered well too. I don’t want to say too much about the subject, because the answer to the question is my favorite scene. So many movies set out to show good versus evil and nature versus nurture, and so many times they fall short. This isn’t the case with “Superman”. 

If you know me, you know I love Marvel. I’ve been along for the ride since the very first “Iron Man”, but I would be lying if I said I’m not tired of the agendas pushed, and the incessant need to release the NeXt BiG MoViE without giving it any real thought. Hollywood thinks that if they put in a big named movie star, and slap the name “Marvel” on it, that it will be great. Yes, I know “Superman” is DC. I’m bringing Marvel up because it has been in the spotlight for most of my life. It’s the baseline I compare most superhero movies against. 

The only negative comment about the story is how many times they say a certain cuss word. It’s the same word over and over again. I think it distracts from the plot, and it makes me roll my eyes. Their objective was to be funny, but it missed the target. Saying all of that, I would rate the overall plot a 4.6 out of 5 stars. 

Rewatchability and Memorability 

Simply put, I could watch this movie 100 times and never get tired of it. It’s a movie I will recommend again and again. It will be a movie I make sure my kids watch (and appreciate). James Gunn did not disappoint with this film, and I cannot wait to see what else he has in store for DC. With that, I would rate the rewatchability and memorability a 5 out of 5 stars. 

My overall score for “Superman”: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Again, here is how the scoring works: I averaged the categories together. 1 star = worst movie ever/ didn’t finish, 2.5 star = an average movie (most movies will be around this score), 5 stars = a legendary movie (like Lord of The Rings).

I recommend “Superman” to every single person who reads this. The rating is PG-13. It will make you cry. I sobbed like a baby. It will make you hug your parents too. If you watch it, leave a comment here or on other socials of mine of what you thought about the movie. Thanks for reading, friends! I love you all.

_{I do not own the rights to the picture above.}